Understanding Nozzles

Okay, so it's been a really long while since I last posted, but hey, let's cut the where's your next post thing and let's continue with the science which are NOZZLES.

If you've been reading my previous posts I'd assume that by now you have a clear understanding of how to use and choose which spray can is best suitable to your needs, maintenance, and what top coat is best for your finish. If not just go on to my older posts and try to learn something.

So for this post, I'll be discussing Nozzles or Spray can caps - they may not be a major issue for you on choosing the spray can that you particularly like or using right now but the science behind the nozzles will define everything about the spray can, it affects paint conservation, pain quality and more importantly it affects the money you put on your pocket.

But, how does a nozzle or a cap works? Take a look at this.

After seeing that I guess I wouldn't have to discuss anything more about how paint gets released to the can. So, for this particular post I'm going to discuss Bosny, RJ and Ace Nozzles.

First up, let's have a look at Bosny and RJ London nozzles.

Both have excellent paint quality as we know and by the testimonials of a million people enslaved by the wonders of Bosny, I'd even bet that when you ask your neighbor, your friend and even your parents for a spray can, they'll bring you a Bosny spray can. (Note: This particular hypothesis is not applicable to chinese residents as I think they have much stronger bond on their local brand of spray can and if you're thinking what I'm thinking, YES, it has a self destruct button, china really has such an affinity for explosives and blowing things up)

Okay, so a noticeable difference is the size of the nozzles, it affects nozzle rotation and determines how pressure gets into the can. It also affects cap replacement - it may not be much and you'll probably be saying I'd just replace the whole can rather than buy a cap, but there's always those moments when the cap is freaking clogged!!! and there's still too much paint left especially to those paint colors which you use the least. 

Next difference is how RJ London's nozzle would appear like it was just put on by a child and Bosny's nozzle is like protected against all odds. But it's actually the opposite as RJ London's Nozzle is able to take up more pressure - meaning more airflow inside better and higher amounts of paint drops. It's good for continuous or non-stop painting especially painting large parts - like those of a car's or a diorama. Bosny, on the other hand is probably quite better in painting gunpla and for miniature parts of a dio. So choosing which to use for what situation is in your hands.

But this post is not over yet, as we're also going to cover ACE SPRAY NOZZLES.

By the way, for this particular picture the can has a spray gun or trigger or something which I don't know what it's called but it can also be applied to other brands of spray can just don't use china it might trigger the blow-yourself-up thing.

If you have read my posts so far and if you remember my ACRYLIC VS ENAMEL post, this post will also cover a review for the ace spray can so hang on tight.

Okay, so notice the gap on the button? It's great for paint control. If you have tried this particular brand of spray can - this is the closest you're going compared to airbrush - yeah, I know nothing beats a finer drop of an airbrush and how it's very conservative for the paint itself and how you can customize and personalize each color and make your own color wheel but hey, this post is once again, for people who don't want to spend that much and still enjoy their hobbies. 

Back to discussion, if you are using Bosny or RJ London or if you're still wondering what spray can to use, this might help, Bosny and RJ as we know by now, has a full cone pattern when sprayed but this Ace is different let's have a look at the pictures I've gathered so far:

I've just re-uploaded the first picture because I can't search for anything more Bosny-ier, so assuming this is Bosny or RJ London, this is what its spray pattern would be like, FULL CONE PATTERN. CIRCULAR. VERY STANDARD.

Ace is different it's spray pattern is like this:

not conical. not circular NOT STANDARD. yep, it has a very specific purpose, this one has a slimmer drop. ON A LINE. It may seem very unusual and freakish to you, not to mention they're not acrylic like Bosny or London but ENAMEL which tends to be thicker which is a problem for many. But I wouldn't exactly say those are CONS for this brand. It has a slimmer drop - lesser pressure inside? No. Actually in terms of airflow inside it kinda beats the Nozzle Science of Bosny and RJ. It's real purpose? PAINT CONSERVATION. yep, this thing has like a safety switch on your pocket, you use very minimal paint which goes on to the next unusual thing. It's drops form a line. While you would think that a circular full cone pattern is very efficient to cover large or small parts especially in priming, you're wrong. It beats Bosny or RJ in terms of number of coating, while you would do 2 - 3 coatings of paint to achieve your desired color (especially for darker parts) you'd do only once with this guy mainly because a LINE DROP is far more concentrated than a CONE DROP, and goes with the next I-think-it's-a-CON-thing, being an ENAMEL, the reason you'd do just one coating is that ENAMEL is thicker than ACRYLIC therefore, by painting standards, sand > prime > color coat > top coat. See? Not a single thing done twice.

But still, don't get too overwhelmed and go out of your way to buy this product yet. It has REAL CONS which are: 

1st) Paint color quality - for those painting gunpla kits, Ace's white is way too white and it's grey is too dark grey. It's blue is very unlike the blue that you'd use using Bosny. You'd have to have a particular piece for use on these paints.

2nd) Paint color availability - Trouble finding Honda Red or Signal Red (both are Bosny and RJ's colors) or any shade of red which would match these colors in Ace brand? Yep, since these aren't you're so called "for-hobby-paints", you're really going to have trouble finding a color which would fit or match what you're painting. It's easy to find a matched color if your gunning for Bosny or RJ because these are industrial car paints - they have a real wide arsenal of paint colors and are especially friendly with plastic materials but Ace's con? they are made for painting furniture. If you're into modelling, the basics of finding an industrial paint to use is too look for car paints. 

3rd) Cost - These paints costs way more than Bosny or RJ and can only be bought at malls. They're specifically for Ace so any local hardware wouldn't have them. I know I've written that it's paint conservative, but the real trouble is finding the piece to paint it with and most of the time they're just few little pieces that you'd go rather use Bosny to it.

Bottomline is that nozzle science wise it beats Bosny or RJ but the science alone doesn't help in terms of choosing the spray can. Practicality and Functionality is better. As for my advice, use Bosny paints all throughout except when you're gloss coating. If you have the extra money for it, go for Ace gloss coat (they doesn't have flat top coat). For Flats, go Bosny all throughout.